Page 147 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

handscrolls provide concrete evidence of avid collecting occurring within the Forbidden

City. The depiction of the imperial collection reiterates the previously mentioned desire

to claim ownership of objects to validate imperial power. In this instance, the imperial

power was not only claiming the wares of its own era, but also dominance over all

previous Chinese reigns. This sense of ownership connected strongly to traditional

Confucian values of filial piety, which stressed respecting elders. Collecting these

porcelain wares and paying homage to the past was a mark of deep respect that

simultaneously staked a claim to the successes associated with earlier eras. Additionally,

the high quality associated with each object painted serves to represent the level of court

taste over time. Each object varies, illustrating different techniques that span a variety of

eras. The imperial ability to select such a wide array of porcelain emphasizes the

emergence of connoisseurship within Chinese imperial porcelain collections.

The handscrolls prove that by the Qing era, collecting porcelain was standard for

the emperor. The connotation within the Forbidden City of porcelain representing power

was reflected in the rise in collecting in the general population. As porcelain collecting

rose in popularity over time, it became a symbol of status. Craig Clunas has argued that

th
by the mid-16 century, porcelain collecting was “an essential form of consumption

which was central to the maintenance of elite status.” 183 While Clunas has suggested that

this consumption primarily occurred in areas of southern China, this study finds that as

time progressed, the collecting of porcelain was widespread. Similar to what would

occur in Europe, China began to collect porcelain more widely. Since highly desirable

wares like the five great wares were difficult to obtain, Chinese collectors moved toward

183 Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things: Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern China,
(Cambridge: Polity Press, 1991),108.
108